


a beautiful sight, we're happy tonight

by honey_hill



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: F/F, Starts in College, a sort of celebration through the years, ends around present time, lena learns to love the holidays, that might be misleading
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-25
Updated: 2019-12-25
Packaged: 2021-02-26 04:55:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,032
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21897772
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/honey_hill/pseuds/honey_hill
Summary: Kara teaches Lena to appreciate the holidays as told in holiday-themed vignettes.
Relationships: Kara Danvers/Lena Luthor
Comments: 7
Kudos: 89
Collections: Supergirl Femslash Secret Santa 2019





	a beautiful sight, we're happy tonight

**Author's Note:**

  * For [avengersincamphalfbloodstardis](https://archiveofourown.org/users/avengersincamphalfbloodstardis/gifts).



> Happy Holidays to my secret santa recipient avengersincamphalfbloodstardis! 
> 
> I tried to stay as close to the original prompt as I could, but obviously my mind is a mess and so this kind of ended up being a mess too. It's AU, but canon adjacent in that everyone is still everyone, Kara is still Supergirl. Only difference now is that Kara and Lena knew each other in college. 
> 
> It is a mess and I will attempt to clean it up later.
> 
> Hope you enjoy!

Lena is neck deep in citations when she hears rustling around her. Normally, the sounds of other people moving wouldn’t put her on edge, but the fact that the library has been empty of anyone with a will to live for the last 4 hours makes her tense. Especially since as of her last bathroom break two hours ago, she was the only one left in the engineering section of the library.

As discreetly as she can, she turns off her music, senses reaching out to hone in on any noises. With nothing else forthcoming, Lena warily gets back to work, turning her music back on and trying to reabsorb her attention in her paper. 

The sounds of bells draws her attention before she can truly get back into the groove, and this time her head snaps up, eyes shrewd as they scan their surroundings. Again though, nothing seems out of the ordinary, and if she didn’t know her music so well, she could’ve sworn it was coming from the tinny sounds of her headphones. 

This time she removes the buds from her ears as she gets back to work, unwilling to let whatever suspicious activity around her continue as she tries to once again lose herself in her work.

It’s not much longer when something draws her attention again. It’s not a noise this time, but Lena’s hesitant to classify it as a feeling. Defintely something has changed, she just isn’t quite sure what. A brief glance at her watch shows it’s just before midnight, meaning she has been in the library for about 14 hours. If this weren’t the case for the past three weeks, Lena might think she is losing her mind. But the fact that her brain is still spinning with analyses and equations and the fact that the library won’t actually kick her our for another two hours, means it can’t be her mind cracking from the truncated sleep schedule and truly unhealthy amounts of energy drinks and coffee running through her system.

Regardless, she decides to call it a night. Perhaps another family of raccoons had made their way into the warmth of the library from the icy chill of Cambridge in winter. And if that is the case, Lena wants to be as far removed from them as possible.

She takes her time packing her bags for the evening, books already checked out and set up to be taken back to her apartment. She’s still trying to figure out what exactly has changed when the heater overhead kicks on and brings with it a distinct scent that causes Lena to jolt up in surprise.

“Is that _juniper_?” She mumbles to herself. The unmistakable scent seems to be travelling now, the identified smell growing stronger the longer she stands still.

It easily overpowers the smell of books and the odor of hundreds of stressed out students, and Lena follows it back toward the lobby near the elevators.

When she turns the corner, she pauses, a gasp unwillingly pulled from her throat.

In the hours she has been deep into paper writing, the lobby has completely transformed. Gone were the notices for roommates needed and apartments for rent, and no longer did any of the informational sandwich boards advertising club celebrations and post-final book buy-backs stand around in a disorganized clutter. Before her instead stands what she can only describe as a winter wonderland.

Hand-cut snowflakes hang from the ceiling with multi-colored paper chains between them. Fairy lights decorated the walls, softly blinking on and off. Off to the corner of the room was a tree, decked out in all its Christmas finery, including what looked to be handmade ornaments and candy canes hanging from the branches. The multi-colored lights dances between the branches, casting a glow around the tree. 

Under the tree, Lena can just make out a few packages, wrapped meticulously in the cheesey paper the bookstore had been selling to the students too busy or forgetful to find a better deal elsewhere. 

Not able to contain herself, Lena glides up to the tree, hand outreached to inspect an ornament. It’s cute in the way most handmade ornaments are, very obviously made by a child but with such care you just know it meant a lot. The pinecone was painted white, small sticks glued to its side and a paper hat adorn its head. Small pebbles for its smile and eyes, while a piece of ribbon hangs from its neck, but the most endearing thing about the snowman is the “carrot” nose, a small rolled up piece of paper glued off-center above the smile.

Lena adores it.

Before she can inspect any more of the ornaments, a loud scraping breaks the peace of the area and Lena jumps back, heart pounding like she did something wrong. 

But the sound continues harmlessly, now accompanied by the slightly heavy breathing and quiet grunts of whoever else was in the library with her. Soon enough, the edge of a couch that Lena swears used to be on the third floor turns the corner, and behind it a familiar, if slightly dishevled, head of blonde.

“Kara?” Lena asks in confusion.

Kara flinches back from the couch, hand over her chest like she’s surprised to see Lena.

Lena looks around again in a new light, recognizing the touch of her friend in the snowflakes and chains. Still panting with the effort, Kara tries to steady herself, smilingly sheepishly at Lena while still leaning against the couch.

“Oh,” it sounds breathless and Lena can’t help but tune her hearing into the gentle way Kara clears her throat after it, “um, hey Lena. What’s going on? Fancy seeing you here.”

The frazzled way Kara talks and the nervous way her hands grab at the fabric of the couch indicate she’s nervous. Which, Lena supposes with another glance around the room, she absolutely should be. She takes another look at the tree.

“Did you steal the tree from the Hub?” She looks back at Kara with a surprised grin. She didn’t remember seeing some of those ornaments on the tree, but she did remember the lights and the candy canes at the very least. 

“Well stealing is a strong word,” Kara replies deflectively. She takes a deep breath and pushes the couch further forward, the awful screeching seeming louder in the quiet building than it had before.

Lena flinches from the abrupt noise and nervously glances around, worried about getting caught with stolen furniture and decorations. She hurries to the other end of the couch, shushing Kara along the way.

“Do you want to get caught?”

Kara grunts. “You’re the only person here.”

“That can’t be true.”

Instead of replying, Kara stops pushing the couch and looks around pointedly. Lena can admit that even if her earbuds were still in, there’s probably no way she would’ve missed that god-awful sound. 

“Still…” Gripping the arm and the back of the couch, Lena prepares herself to lift. “Where do you want it?”

Kara grins at her, pleased. Lena melts a little at the look, knowing that even with her constant admonishments, her friend knows her well enough to know when she’s serious. And this may be breaking _a few_ rules in the student code of conduct, but Lena read them, and there was nothing explicit about rearranging some of the things found on campus. 

Honestly, Lena wonders how Kara was able to take a tree and carry it halfway across campus to the library without getting caught, or at the very least questioned by the security guards. 

“Over there, facing the tree.” 

Lena nods and waits for Kara to get a good handle on the couch before lifting her end. Together they shuffle the couch to the spot Kara pointed out, placing it gently on the floor when Kara nods her approval. 

“So what’s this for?” Lena questions as she brushes her hands off, knowing how filthy that couch must be.

“You.”

She shoots a look of disbelief at Kara.

“Me?” Kara nods and Lena takes a step back, huffing out a small, uncomfortable laugh. “Why?”

“Well,” Kara shrugs, reaching behind the Christmas tree for her backpack. She unzips it and pulls out her sticker-encrusted laptop, tossing the bag back behind the tree and flopping comfortably on the couch. “You said you don’t remember what a real Christmas feels like. And since you’re going back to Metropolis for winter break I figure what better way to embrace the Christmas spirit than celebrating with one of the people- _few_ people you can tolerate.”

Kara’s cheesy grin coaxes out Lena’s own. When Kara gently pats the cushion next to her, Lena doesn’t think twice before setting her own backpack down and settling comfortably next to Kara.

“I more than tolerate you, you know.”

Kara smiles at her, this time softer than what Lena’s used to. “Yeah,” she shrugs lightly, “but I didn’t want to scare you away by showing you _too_ _much_ affection at once.”

Lena laughs and pointedly looks around the room. “Yeah, wouldn’t want to do that.” Her gaze drops to Kara’s lips for a moment before flicking back to Kara. She waits, nervous with anticipation, but Kara jerks her head toward the couch.

“Sit with me?”

So they settle in, Kara pulling up a YouTube loop of a fireplace burning a log on her laptop. Soft Christmas music plays from the speakers, but Lena barely notices it. She and Kara talk much later in the night, reminiscing traditions with their families and recounting their best holidays. 

Lena gets into bed much later, her lips still curling into a smile and chest still warm with affection when the gentle vibration and lightening on her phone’s display light up with a text. She opens the phone with a bigger smile, already knowing who it’s from.

_Merry Christmas Lena._

❤️

  
  


* * *

She hates investors. Truly hates them. They’re entitled and arrogant and think their meagre shares in her company allow them to make demands of her and a say in the direction the company will be facing. She has half a mind to buy back all the shares and take her company off the market, legality be damned. 

Her board members don’t make her life any easier, of course. She’s lucky that she’s been able to buy back as many shares from them as she has, though she’s sure the remaining holdouts from Lionel’s days were holding on merely out of spite. It was easy enough to persuade Lex’s appointees to sell back their stock, especially considering the amount of information Lena had on some of their past less savory behaviors. 

But when the investors start making a nuisance of themselves to the point that the board members catch on and start pestering her about the same things… Lena’s lucky she doesn’t liquidate the entire company and retire to a nice beach-side villa in Hawaii.

But no, instead she has to placate them in a six hour long meeting, where half the voices were yelling at her over the conference line, too lazy to actually make an appearance and waste her time. Instead they sit in their million-dollar cabins making demands of her while their stupid-rich families go skiing and enjoy the winter weather.

She desperately needs a drink.

Vaguely, she sees Jess flinch at the look on her face when she storms up, but Lena’s one-track mind doesn’t quite register it. In fact, she’s halfway to the wet bar in her office when she pulls up short, at the state of it. 

The previously pristine office has been transformed since she stepped out of it this morning. Gaudy red and green pillows have been added to her couch and a red plaid blanket has been thrown over the back of it. The coffee table, which Lena swears had reports on it before the meeting, has steaming mugs of hot cocoa and a plate piled with a truly shocking amount of homemade cookies on it. Her desk now holds a mini-Christmas tree spun with gently twinkling mini lights and red ornaments. Her bookshelves, already crammed full, are cluttered with even more decorations. A Nativity scene on one shelf, a wooden sleigh and reindeer cut out on another. 

For half a second, Lena thinks to be terrified. The recent threats against her life and her company because of her brother coming to mind. Logic catches up soon after though. After all, who in their right mind would break into her office to decorate it if they had some nefarious plan to carry out? 

Only one name comes to mind.

Lena searches the room, frowning when she doesn’t see her friend. Turning aboutface, Lena slams herself into a warm body. Strong arms quickly come up and wrap around her, pulling her even closer.

Lena wraps her arms around the figure, knowing the familiarity of the hug before verifying that it is indeed Kara.

“Hey,” she mumbles weakly into Kara’s shoulder.

Chuckling, Kara tightens her arms a little more. “Hey yourself.”

“I wasn’t expecting to see you.”

“And let you celebrate Christmas alone?” Kara steps back, loosening her hold until only Lena’s shoulders are in her embrace. “What kind of god-awful friend would do that to you?”

Lena scoffs but can’t hide her smile. “The one who forgot what day was Christmas last year and showed up on the 28th?”

“An exception that makes the rule. I told you, Christmas _was_ the 28th last year.”

“Sure it was you dork.”

Lena shook her head but gazed fondly at her friend. The last year had been good to her. Though they still occasionally talked, it was nothing like when they had been in college. After Lena graduated it was off to working in Research and Development, the long hours and longer projects taking up her mind and her days to the point where she couldn’t remember to actually eat, let alone text the only person from college she still wanted to have contact with. If it weren’t for Kara’s understanding and generous nature, Lena’s sure she’d be friendless and alone. 

When Lex lost his mind, Lena was sure that would be enough to drive Kara away. But the next Christmas, Kara showed up a week early, packed Lena a poorly-planned bag, and dragged her out to her mother’s house in Midvale where they celebrated Hanukkah with Kara’s family and they broke their traditions to celebrate Christmas with her. 

The last year though has been hard. With Kara being run ragged by Cat Grant and Lena trying to fix what her brother broke, neither of them had been great at keeping up with the other. In fact, Lena can’t actually remember the last time they had a conversation that lasted more than the pleasantries of “how was your day?”

So to see Kara in her office looking happy and relaxed and _tan_ sent a shiver of loneliness down Lena’s spine. She’s not entirely sure she wants to go back to not having Kara around every day. To only speaking to her through text and on important dates. 

“I really missed you,” Lena murmurs.

If possible, Kara’s eyes only get softer as she gazes back at Lena. Her hand comes up to cradle Lena’s cheek, and for a second Lena thinks she might be leaning in to kiss her. Instead, Kara’s thumb brushes under her eyes, where Lena knows her makeup doesn’t quite cover the shadows. “I really missed you, too.”

They sit on the couch and get comfortable with their drinks and catch up. Lena learns all about Kara’s new friend Winn and some of the ridiculous things Cat makes her do. She tells her of stories she pitched and were accepted and some of the bigger saves she’s made. 

She sounds worried about Alex, but happy that she gets to see her more often now. Eliza is good too, she tells Lena at her prompting. Still up in Midvale. Kara worries about her up there all alone sometimes, but she’s been making sure to go visit as often as she can. “Free food,” Kara adds with a silly grin.

Lena really has missed her. It’s unfair that she only gets to see her once a year, and only then if they’re able. Lena can’t go on living like this. 

She needs to be happy again.

* * *

  
  


Christmas time in National City is… different. She’d grown used to the blustery cold of the East Coast. Almost grown to appreciate the freezing rain and the glass-like sheen it would leave on everything when it cleared. She grew attached to the snow, even. Though that might have had something to do with the diminished death threats and assassination attempts. (It was probably due to the difficulties in planning the getaway route and the general unwillingness to stand in the cold for hours on end waiting for their shot, but Lena isnt’ going to look a gift horse in the mouth.)

National City is the opposite. Instead of the snow and ice, there are light showers that pass by on their way to the mountains. The skies are pale and blue and the sun is warm where it touches her skin. 

Palm trees are decked in lights and the only way one would know it’s even winter is the sun setting at 4:30 in the afternoon and the Christmas songs repeating on the radio.

Best of all though, is National City feels like home. The feeling she used to only get once a year if she were lucky is now a constant. And it’s not just the close proximity to Kara, but everything about National City. It’s less gloomy, less haunted by the past. The people are friendlier and more likely to actually listen to what she has to say before judging her. She’s got actual friends here. And not just friends she made through Kara, but people she’s been able to build trust and rapport with on her own. 

National City’s own Super is even nice to Lena! She’s not had many run-ins with Superman when she was back in Metropolis, but every time she remembers having to interact with him, his hard expression and flinty eyes seemed only moments away from activating their heat vision at her.

Supergirl is different. Lena’s sure she’s getting special treatment, but Supergirl never once made Lena feel like she was guilty for Lex’s crimes. Never made her feel like a criminal by association. Instead Supergirl would check in with her, crack some jokes, spend time quietly sitting on the balcony bird watching while Lena was supposed to be working in her office but was really watching Supergirl through the reflection on her computer screen.

Lena learned that she was goofy. That her sense of humor was familiar and so very welcomed after the years of being alone. She somehow always knew when Lena needed a pick-me-up, stopping by cafes in Paris that Lena mentioned in passing once for the best pain-au-chocolat she’d ever tasted. Or she would pick up Gyros from the Greek place back in Metropolis that Lena would miss terribly – possibly the only thing about Metropolis that she missed at all. One time, and Lena doesn’t know how she did it, Supergirl was able to bring pizza from an old hole in the wall place near MIT that had the best dang buffalo chicken pizza Lena had ever been coerced into trying. 

Simply put, Supergirl was amazing and Lena is pretty sure she is actually her best friend. 

And she really means that. 

Lena’s like, 99 percent sure that Supergirl is actually Kara without her glasses. She’s seen Kara with her hair down enough times to know what her best friend looks like in all her styles. Especially the messy tangled look that Kara would often roll out of bed with on weekends that is eerily similar to the look Supergirl gets after a particularly rough fight.

So Lena’s pleased whenever Supergirl lands on her balcony. 

She’s not so pleased when Supergirl lands on her balcony holding the ugliest sweater Lena thinks she’s ever seen with a pleading look on her face. 

“What’s this for?” She eyes the thing warily, stepping back when Supergirl tries to offer it to her.

“Kara needs you to put this on.”

“Does she?” Lena’s nose wrinkles in humor as she looks away from the bright yellow and red sweater. “Why would she need me to do that?”

“It’s for a very important article.”

Lena wonders how far Kara’s going to take this. “About what?”

“You’ll just have to find out when you put on the sweater.”

Lena stares at the garish thing again. Besides the fact that yellow is definitely not her color, the combination with red makes it look like a ghastly creation of ketchup and neon mustard, the words “Jingle My Bells” making the sweater that much more horrific.

“I’d rather not.”

“It’s important,” Kara – Supergirl insists with a pout.

It almost works too; Lena can feel her resolve to stay a respectable distance away from the garment weakening as Supergirl’s eyes get bigger and glassier as her pout deepens. But then Lena sees Kara’s hand twitch. Like she had to hold herself back from fiddling with her glasses, something Lena knows she does when nervous about something. It’s why Kara can never win against Lena at poker. Or staring contests, come to think of it.

Either way, the illusion is shattered and standing in front of her is Kara in her Halloween costume holding the world’s ugliest sweater. 

And Lena still adores her. Damn it.

“What am I getting in return?”

Supergirl brightens and bounces on her toes. 

“My unwavering loyalty and support!” Like Lena doesn’t already have it.

Playfully, Lena tilts her head and cocks an eyebrow. “So if I don’t, then I’m just another Luthor to you again?”

“What? Lena, no! That’s not–. You’re messing with me.”

Lena remains stoic for approximately two seconds before breaking with a light chuckle. “Just give me the sweater.”

The sweater is just as uncomfortable as it is ugly. The material very obviously some kind of poly-blend and scratchy instead of comforting. It’s also insanely hot over her skirt and blouse combo, and Lena regrets wearing it even more now. 

Especially when she hears the camera app on Kara’s phone snapping pictures. 

She shoots her her fiercest glare, the one that makes troublesome investors and board members back down and run back to their mothers with their tails tucked. Kara just grins. 

“It’s for a good cause.”

“Winning you $50 in the DEO betting pool is not a good cause, Supergirl.”

“It’s $100,” Kara reminds absentmindedly as she examines the pictures. 

Jess decides now is the right time to walk into Lena’s office, arms laden with files. “Ms. Luthor, here are the files for the… What am I looking at?”

“Nothing–.”

“Humiliation at its finest.”

Supergirl and Lena speak at the same time, Supergirl narrowing her eyes at Lena’s blunt delivery of how she feels about the sweater.

Jess pauses to consider this, before seemingly mentally shrugging off whatever explanation she came to and continuing. “I have the files you requested for the fundraising efforts for next week’s charity gala.”

“Oh, excellent! Thank you, Jess.” Lena takes the files and sets them on her desk before turning around. Jess is still standing next to Supergirl, staring at Lena in bewilderment. “Is there anything else?”

Snapping back to attention, Lena can barely make out a blush rising on Jess’s cheeks. “No ma’am, that was it.”

“Right. You can go home now, Jess. Thank you for your work today.”

“Oh,” her assistant jumps a little in shock. “Thank you Ms. Luthor, it’s my pleasure.”

Jess leaves quickly, eyes wide like she wants to throw one last glance back at Lena and Supergirl.

“Wow,” Kara remarks, staring where Jess had just hurried through the door. “You rule with an iron fist.”

Lena rolls her eyes and reaches down to pull the hem of the sweater off, eager to rid herself of it.

“Hey wait,” Kara says, arm reaching out to stop Lena, but not actually touching her.

Lena looks at her impatiently, eyebrow raised.

“You just… you look really cute in it. You should keep it.”

Lena chuckles, but pulls the sweater off regardless. “Thank you darling, but you and I both know yellow only looks good on certain people.” She throws an appraising look at Supergirl. “Besides, this office is heated and I do have to finish up some work before I can head home myself.”

Supergirl looks sad, but takes the sweater when Lena holds it out to her. “I understand. Thank you for humoring me.”

“Anytime,” Lena replies graciously.

Supergirl nods and salutes her with a dorky two-finger wave before taking off into the skyline. 

Not long later, Lena receives a text from Kara.

_Dinner tonight?_

Well, at least she did get something out of wearing that sweater.

* * *

  
  


“Are you fucking kidding me, Kara?” 

Lena glares at the creepy doll smiling mockingly from where it was wrapped inappropriately around her scotch bottle. It’s been weeks of this. This back and forth of suggestive placements of a doll that teaches children that they’re always surveilled. Lena had, perhaps mistakenly, she thinks now, mentioned how much she disapproved of the whole thing weeks ago during a movie night with Kara.

Though their movie nights happened regularly and they rarely went a day without seeing each other, let alone talking to one another, Lena cherished those times. It was usually them, cuddled close on the couch. Now that it was colder, they usually ended up wrapped in one another, Lena often dozing off not knowing where she ended and Kara began. 

It was one of those nights when Elf on the Shelf was brought up. Lena was laying on top of Kara, comfortable and warm and blinking at the TV sleepily as Kara gently scratched her nails along her scalp. Their movie had ended a while ago, but neither were too eager to move. Some kind of late night talk show was droning on, the host complaining about the latest fads in Hollywood that are spreading to mainstream America.

“I think it’s a good idea,” Kara’s voice brings Lena back to herself. She blinks, not realizing her eyes slid shut.

“What is?”

“Teaching children that people are always watching. That their actions have reactions.”

Lena sighs and scrunches her eyebrows, trying to figure out what Kara’s referring to. The host is complaining about what seems to be some creepy elf doll and how people are scaring others with it.

“It sounds like they’re teaching children that Big Brother is always watching. That they don’t have any privacy,” she counters half-heartedly. She’s comfortable and not entirely awake and wants to go back to that pleasant in-between state of being awake and asleep in Kara’s arms.

She feels Kara’s chin gently bump her head where it’s resting on her shoulder, and Lena shifts, making sure her weight isn’t pressing into Kara too hard at any point as she meets Kara’s gaze.

“But doesn’t it give children boundaries? To know that somebody will see if they misbehave?”

“And if those children come from abusive homes? If their upbringing was anything like mine, always afraid to do or say anything that could be construed poorly and be punished for?”

Kara’s quiet as she studies Lena. “Is this a Lillian thing?”

She considers it, but shrugs and shakes her head. “I think it’s a Luthor thing. All I know is that I wouldn’t do it to my kids.”

Kara’s lips twitch up in the corners. “Your kids wouldn’t get away with anything anyway.”

“No they would not.”

Their conversation died down after that, neither lasting very much longer before moving from the couch to the bed, where Kara immediately curled up against Lena as is custom. She always argues that the couch is Lena’s chance to cuddle, where the bed is hers.

Lena didn’t think much of that conversation from then, until about a week later, when that very same creepy elf toy appeared in her chair, staring at her ominously from her desk when she came back from a meeting. 

Quite honestly it scared the shit out of her. One second she was walking into her office skimming the files that her assistant had organized for her, and the next a flash of red caught her attention from the corner of her eye and that creepy smiling face was watching her every move. 

So she may have screamed and thrown the files across her office toward the damn doll. And perhaps her assistant and the security guard for her floor came rushing in, ready to fight for Lena until they saw what exactly it was that startled her. 

Lena glared at Jess as she tried to hold back her snickering and thanked the guard for his speedy and brave response but assured both she would be fine. She’d had half a mind to throw the stupid toy from the balcony, but ultimately her annoyance and the added time it took to reorganize the files and read through them had Lena thinking more like a Luthor.

And that meant revenge.

So she’d done what any sane, normal person would do and retaliated by planting the toy back at Kara’s apartment. Maybe she had been a little petty when she did it, but Kara didn’t seem to take her gentle refusal at staying over personally and she left knowing that at least Kara wouldn’t be alone in her bed that night.

She’d hoped that would be it, but unfortunately for her, Kara just got more creative with her placement. She’d now found the stupid elf with his head sticking out of her makeup bag, in her desk drawer, leaning against her computer, peeking through the leaves of a ficus in her office, and now wrapped around her bottle. In return, she’d hidden him in Kara’s medicine cabinet, her freezer, inside a pair of socks in her sock drawer, and an emptied out box of crackers – what she assumes was Kara’s main motivation for wrapping him around her own treat. 

At this point she just wants it to end. She still stands by her opinion on the whole thing, but she wishes she had seen some of Kara’s reactions to finding him. 

She sighs and grabs the doll, placing him on her desk as she gets to work. She’s built plenty of rockets in her time, so it doesn’t take her long to make one strong enough to shoot him straight into the thermosphere.

She drives him out to the middle of the desert, far away from any town or city that he would crash into if Lena’s projections hadn’t been right. She knows they are, but she still won’t take any chances. 

She sets up the launch pad and steps back until the light glint of the rocket is all she can see, and presses the button. Almost immediately, smoke starts pouring from the bottom of the rocket as it lifts off – slowly at first, and then faster and faster until the only trace of it is the line of smoke going off into the sky. 

She’s a little smug as she drives back to the city, wondering if Kara will bring up the lack of the toy’s presence or if she’ll let it go. After all, neither of them had been mentioning this little war. Her penthouse is quiet and comforting when she gets home, and she enjoys her routine of getting ready for bed.

She’s cozy under the covers with a good book and a cup of tea next to her when she hears a knock echo through her apartment.

“Kara, you know you can just come in, right?” 

When there’s no noise of the balcony door sliding open, Lena frowns. Pushing back her covers, she quietly opens the drawer on her nightstand and pulls out a taser. Warily, she creeps down the hallway, refusing to turn on any lights and give away her position. Her living room looks normal, and when she peeks her head around the corner to scout out the kitchen and balcony, everything seems fine.

She relaxes a little at finding nobody in her house, but knows she heard a knock. Deciding to check it out anyway, Lena heads toward the balcony before pulling up short. 

“Oh no,” she groans. 

Sitting merrily on the chaise is the stupid elf, slightly singed and a little worse for wear, but with his creepy smile drilling right into her very soul. In his hands is a card, ‘ _Nice try_ ’ written out in familiar writing.

Lena grits her teeth and opens the door, stepping out to the balcony. She’s not sure what she’s going to do to it, but she’s definitely going to do something.

“Well well well, look who we have here.”

Heart leaping up to her throat, Lena spins around, seeing Kara land just behind her and blocking the door back into her apartment.

“A Kryptonian who is about to have a mouth full of smoked Elf on the Shelf,” Lena shoots back. She glares at her friend’s dumb grin on her dumb beautiful face.

“I thought you’d enjoy him!”

“It’s creepy, Kara!” Kara’s mouth twists in displeasure. Lena sees the acknowledgement for what it is and presses on. “I’m really going to destroy it this time.”

Kara shifts a little, looking between Lena and the toy. “Fine,” she gives in, “I’ll get rid of it. You can go back to bed.”

She sounds so disappointed about it, Lena almost wants to tell her to forget it. That the stupid thing can stay. A glance behind her at the leering perverted doll quickly changes her mind though and she nixes that idea.

She gives Kara a tight smile of approval and makes to move around her back into the apartment. A quick hook of Kara’s arm around her waist stops her and pulls her flush with Kara, giving her the perfect view of her lips. Her heart rate picks up and her mouth starts to water and her cheeks flush, knowing Kara can hear all of these reactions. She tears her gaze away from where Kara’s pulled her lip between her teeth and meets her clear blue gaze.

“Yes, Kara?” She asks, momentarily hating how low and raspy her voice has gotten until she sees Kara swallow and feels her grip on her waist tighten. 

“I think you’re forgetting something.”

“And that is?”

She follows Kara’s line of sight as she looks up, catching sight of a familiar sprig of a very meaningful plant.

Lena looks back to Kara, slightly shocked. “Seriously?”

Grinning sheepishly, Kara shrugs. 

Lena feels her smile pulling her lips up, joy and butterflies fluttering around in her belly as she steps more fully into Kara’s arms.

“You could have just asked, you know.”

“I’ve been trying since college!” Kara huffs.

“I’ve been waiting since college!” Lena responds, laughing. 

“I made you a winter wonderland!” 

“You could have kissed me then and you didn’t!”

“I got nervous!”

“You never needed to be,” Lena’s words are softer now, warm with affection. They’ve been friends for years, they’ve been _closer_ than friends for years, that thin thin line separating them from being something more. Just waiting for one of them to step over it.

Kara looks like she wants to respond, but can’t work through her thoughts. With another glance at the mistletoe above their heads, Lena leans in and brings her mouth to Kara’s.

  
  


Growing up, Lena had never had a real Christmas. They were always somber events, filled with rules and punishments and expectations. She’d never quite enjoyed any of the traditional holiday festivities, and never understood what could be so great about spending hours slaving away baking cookies for something that will be consumed before anyone realizes the work that went into them. She still doesn’t understand the appeal of Hallmark movies and Christmas carols, even after all these years.

But if she’s learned anything about the holidays, it’s that they really are the most wonderful time of the year.

  
  
  
  
  



End file.
